Secrets
by 7 Ace
Summary: The Scooby Gang kept Spike's survival a secret from Buffy. For almost a year, she was catatonic, but when Willow has had enough, she is finally able to help Buffy out of her present state. What happens when Andrew tells Buffy that Spike has been alive?


Chapter One

Almost a year has passed since the implosion of Sunnydale. Buffy has kept herself locked in a room with a chair under the knob, even though that wouldn't stop any of the slayers from entering the room if they wanted. She has been catatonic for almost a year.

In the kitchen, the Scoobies try to deal with what is going on with Buffy. Since Buffy's decline, Faith has taken the hot seat at the head of the Scoobies. They currently live in Cleveland and most of the slayers are in training. The Scoobies have been teachers to the other slayers for quite some time now, but at the moment, they are trying to find a way to get Buffy to come out of her room, yet there is one among them that causes a rift through the group.

"What is Buffy's problem anyway? He was just a vamp!" Kennedy sneers.

"Kennedy, just fuck off and butt out of everyone's business!" Faith yells at her.

"Whatever, I'm out of here. Come on, Will, let's get out of here." She motions for Willow to follow her, but Willow refuses.

"No thanks, I think I'm going to stay here with Faith and the gang." Willow shrugs and leans against the kitchen island of Buffy's private home.

"You're siding with her? The rogue slayer? She killed a human, Will!" Kennedy hisses.

"You know what Kennedy, Faith is right. You just need to fuck off and stay out of everyone's business. Faith has paid her debt. She has worked hard to be better for all of us and she has pulled through! If you can't get past that, then just leave!" Willow screams at her, throwing the door open with her magic.

"Fine. You'll regret this, Willow, you'll never find anyone like me! I swear to you!" Kennedy hollers as she leaves.

"Thank God, she's gone. She was getting on my nerves," Dawn says.

"Dawnie, she has been getting on everyone's nerves. I was just waiting for her to talk negatively about one of the Scoobies before I threw her out. It was going to happen anyways. She was so damned self-centered. She didn't care what I wanted, she was in it for herself." Willow hugs Dawn and Faith puts her hand on her shoulder.

"Sorry about that, Red. I didn't mean…"

"Faith, just stop, okay? It was going to happen anyway. I just need to talk to my best friend, but she's locked herself in her room. Someone needs to talk to her. I'm going to go and try."

Willow walks up the stairs and moves the chair from under the knob on the other side of the door. She turns the knob and walks in the room toward Buffy's bed. "Buffy, I'll be there soon."

She concentrates and appears in Buffy's mind. The thoughts going through her head are all based on the things that she went through with Spike, both good and bad. It's just like it was when she almost lost Dawn. They repeat over and over again. Willow tries to talk to her, but Buffy doesn't speak to her until the second round of the visions.

"Hey, Willow, are you okay?" Buffy asks.

"I miss you, Buffy." Willow walks up to her and hugs her.

"Oh, Will, I'm right here, I haven't gone anywhere."

"You've been lying on your bed since the day we got to Cleveland. We've been in Cleveland for almost nine months and you haven't moved at all. Please, come back…" Willow begs.

"I can't, Will. I can finally see him. I can see Spike here. If I leave, he'll be gone. I can't live with that. I thought that he was just using me, but looking back, he really did love me and he risked his life for me. All I did was brush him off and pretend… I really did feel for him, I see that now."

"We need you, Buffy. Dawnie needs you. Please come back with me."

"Let me just see him one more time…" Buffy says as the vision changes again.

This time, the vision shows Spike. "Hey, look, it's Red. How's it going, love?" Spike says.

"I want to take Buffy home, Spike. She needs you, but she can't stay inside her head. Her sister needs her. Please, Spike." Willow gets down on her knees and starts crying.

"Don't worry, Red. All will be fine. I'll let her go, but take care of her for me."

The vision disappears and Willow falls to the bedroom floor. "W-W-Willow? What happened?"

"Oh goddess, Buffy! You're back! I can't believe it!" Willow rushes to Buffy's side and holds her.

"Willow, he's gone… Spike's gone… Why did he have to leave me?" Buffy says crying.

"I don't know, Buffy, I don't know," Willow says, feeling guilty for not telling her the truth.

Three hours later, Buffy is eating and talking to everyone again. She goes to the kitchen to help Andrew clean the kitchen.

"Hey, Buffy, how are you feeling?" Andrew asks.

"I'm feeling a little bit better…" she trails off.

"I still can't believe they haven't told you," Andrew whispers.

"Haven't told me what, Andrew? What haven't they told me?" Buffy says frantically.

"Spike isn't dead; he was saved by the Powers That Be. He's with Angel." Andrew continues to wash the dishes as Buffy gets furious and walks to the living room where all of the Scoobies are.

"Why didn't you tell me? How could you keep that from me? Damn it! All of you! I can't believe this! You all know what I've been going through and you couldn't tell me the simple thought 'Spike's with Angel'? What the fuck? I had to hear from Andrew! Andrew, of all people was honest with me! I didn't even know that he liked me at all and he fucking told me everything! I can understand this coming from Faith, but how could you, Will, Dawn? Fuck this, I'm out of here."

Buffy walks out of the house, while everyone starts tripping all over themselves trying to stop her. "Buffy, please, please don't go! We need you!" Dawn screams.

"No! I'm not staying. I needed all of you and you… I'm not talking about this any longer." Buffy walks off and goes to kick vampire ass.


End file.
